William Hoyt

MADISON - William Lind Hoyt, age 89, passed away on Thursday, September 14, 2017, in Madison, WI. He was born Sep. 8, 1928, in Nephi, Utah, the son of the late William Lorraine Hoyt and Vivian (Petersen) Hoyt.

Bill was a graduate of the University of Utah, and earned his Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Chicago in 1958. He taught for six years at Brandeis University in Waltham, MA, and spent the rest of his career on the math faculty at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. His research interests included algebraic geometry, elliptic surfaces, and modular forms.

He married the love of his life, Effie Kathryn "Kathy" Perry on Dec. 27, 1957, in Bradenton, FL.

An avid amateur geographer, Bill enjoyed taking his family on long drives through the countryside, taking long detours in search of local ice cream emporiums or peach orchards, and finding his way back to the route using the "Jordan curve theorem." Wherever he travelled, he always wanted to know which direction the water was flowing.

Bill delighted in sharing his love of mathematics, and math puzzles and games, and dreamed of writing an elementary primer to teach first graders to read through the use of math examples (square roots). He was a lifelong devotee of technical science fiction, sang in several choirs, and later in life became an enthusiastic amateur artist. He was a devoted husband and father, and took loving care of Kathy in the last few years of her life, as her health deteriorated.

Bill is survived by three children, Bill (Marika Fischer) Hoyt of Madison, WI, Tim (Lisa Wright) Hoyt of Wakefield, RI, and Melinda (Harald) Paulsen of Ebersheim, Germany; five grandchildren, Mara and Mina Hoyt, Liam, Ben and Jon Wright-Hoyt; and by his youngest sister Marsha Hogan of Elkins Park, PA. He is further survived by his nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Kathy, his parents, his sisters Vivian (Hoyt) Olsen, Anna Julia "Anju" (Hoyt) Matthews, and Barbara (Hoyt) Fraser, his brother David Lorraine Hoyt, and his grandson Truman John Fischer Hoyt.

A memorial service and reception will be held at 2:30 pm on Friday, October 6, 2017, at the Capitol Lakes Grand Hall, 333 W. Main Street, Madison.

Those wishing to express their sympathy with a memorial may wish to consider a donation (in lieu of flowers) to American Rivers ( www.americanrivers.org).


Cress Center
6021 University Ave.
Madison, WI 53705
608-238-8406